Female Hormone Replacement Therapy in Milwaukee & Chicagoland

Hormone changes can start occurring in women in the 30s and can rapidly alter during the perimenopause and menopause years.  When the changes occur rapidly; women can feel like they woke up in someone else’s body. All three major female sex hormones (progesterone, estrogen, testosterone) can alter at different rates leading to major changes in how you feel and how your body is acting.  Through alteration of these hormones, we are able to improve how you feel and lessen the symptoms you are experiencing.   

Progesterone can be used as an oral agent or cream.  Cream can be calming and help with many of the symptoms of progesterone deficiency.  Occasionally someone will rapidly convert their progesterone to cortisol leading to difficulty sleeping and feeling more edgy.  Oral progesterone has more literature supporting the protection of the lining of the uterus compared to the creams. Dr. Raskin prefers oral progesterone as it gives the same benefits of the cream, and it breaks down in the liver to create a hormone metabolite that helps with sleep.    

Estrogen can be used as an oral agent, topical patch, cream, or pellet form.  The oral form may increase the risk of blood clots, heart disease and stroke compared to the other forms, so Dr. Raskin generally does not use this form.  Creams can be used on the skin or vaginally depending on what symptoms we are treating.  Patches are convenient and come from your local pharmacy; however, they only come in a few dosing options. Estrogen pellets are convenient as they are only dosed once every 3 months and are best used in women who have had a hysterectomy or endometrial ablation due to the risk of abnormal bleeding.  

Testosterone is the often-neglected hormone in women.  There is ten times more testosterone in the female body than estrogen.  It is responsible for many of the benefits we see with estrogen without the side effects such as weight gain and bloating.  Testosterone can be used as an oral agent, cream, injectable or pellet form.  Dr. Raskin does not recommend the oral form as there is an increased risk of damage to the liver.  The cream/gel formulation can convert to estrogen more readily than the forms that go under the skin.  Both self-administered subcutaneous injections and pellet forms give excellent results.